Albany, New York Breast Mesh Lawsuit

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Best Lawyer and American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best Attorney, is Committed to Protecting the Rights of Breast Mesh Injury Victims Across Albany. If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured Due to a Defective or Contaminated Breast Mesh Product, Our Experienced Team of Attorneys Could Help You Collect the Evidence You Need to Obtain a Fair Settlement.

A breast mesh is a medical product that provides internal support after breast surgery.

Breast meshes are often marketed as safe, effective products that can provide long-lasting results, greater lift, and an enhanced appearance. However, regulators believe that these claims are misleading. According to the federal Food and Drug Administration, the “safety and effectiveness of surgical mesh in breast surgery” has not yet been determined.

“There are no surgical mesh products cleared or approved by the FDA for use in breast surgery, including augmentation or reconstruction,” officials wrote in a 2023 advisory.

Breast meshes are not inherently unsafe, but they can introduce a high risk of complications, up to and including chronic pain, disfigurement, and tissue death. The cost of corrective surgery and recovery, if recovery is even possible, is often astronomical. In some cases, these costs can accumulate quickly, making it difficult to afford a dignified life.

You do not have to sacrifice your finances because a device-maker or doctor misrepresented the safety of a breast mesh. Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has fought to protect the rights of women in Albany and throughout Upstate New York. We have helped our clients statewide secure more than $300 million in damages. We can help you, too.

Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your 100% free consultation with a breast mesh injury lawyer near Albany and find out how much your case could be worth.

In New York, product manufacturers have a legal duty to ensure that the devices they sell are safe for their intended use. In the medical field, safety is not always guaranteed, but rigorous testing can help ensure that complications remain as rare as possible. If and when a product-maker makes a mistake in design, in testing, or at any stage in the supply chain, they could be held liable for the cost of any resulting accident.

Breast meshes are especially problematic for the following reasons:

1. Breast meshes are used in a majority of cosmetic and augmentative breast surgeries; and
2. Breast meshes are often sold under the pretense that they improve long-term outcomes; but
3. Research strongly suggests that breast meshes do not lower risk, do not improve outcomes, and can even introduce new sources of danger.

According to some estimates, about 80% of all women who undergo certain types of breast surgery also receive meshes. Some of the most commonly-used products in Albany-area clinics include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. AlloDerm, a biologic breast mesh manufactured by Allergan-LifeCell;
2. Strattice, a biologic breast mesh manufactured by Allergan-LifeCell;
3. AlloMax, a biologic breast mesh manufactured by C.R. Bard-Becton Dickinson;
4. Phasix, a synthetic breast mesh manufactured by C.R. Bard-Becton Dickinson;
5. DuroSorb, a synthetic breast mesh manufactured by Galatea Surgical-Becton Dickinson;
6. GalaFLEX, a synthetic breast mesh manufactured by MTF Biologics; and
7. FlexHD, a biologic breast mesh manufactured by MTF Biologics.

All of these brands have been implicated in cases of serious injury.

Breast meshes usually come in two types: biologic and synthetic.

A biologic breast mesh is made from natural materials, usually harvested from an animal or a human cadaver. Biologic breast meshes are designed to be fully absorbed by the body after surgery, though the process can take a long time to complete. Synthetic breast meshes, in contrast, are comprised of plastics, polymers, or other artificial materials. Some can be integrated with natural tissue, but many are intended to remain in place permanently.

Both types of breast meshes biological and synthetic could cause complications even if properly inserted by an experienced surgeon. The most common complications include:

A 2021 study on the efficacy of breast meshes found that 34% of all women who receive mesh-based products will suffer complications. These could include:

1. Localized pain;
2. Swelling and inflammation;
3. Accumulations of fluid in and around the breasts; and
4. Tissue death.

Another study, published in 2024, determined that up to 10% of women with meshes eventually require corrective surgery.

Bacterial infection is a risk whenever a foreign material is introduced or implanted into the body.

Infections typically occur if and when a breast mesh is improperly stored. If a mesh is not kept in a sterile environment, it could collect trace amounts of bacteria like MRSA, a dangerous and medication-resistant strain of Staphylococcus. Once inside the body, bacteria can cling to the mesh, using it as a sort of safe haven that makes treatment much more difficult.

Bacterial infections often necessitate further treatment and can result in the loss of the implant or require corrective surgery to mitigate. In some cases, unidentified and untreated infections could be fatal.

Breast meshes are supposed to provide greater lift and contribute to an enhanced appearance after healing is complete. However, defective meshes can cause long-term problems, including uncontrollable inflammation and heavily localized swelling. Deformities can arise quickly and with little warning, necessitating further corrective surgery. This could lead to scarring and other permanent disfigurement of the breasts or breast tissue.

If you have been injured by a breast mesh, you could be entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit against a health care provider or a product liability claim against the manufacturer.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades filing, fighting, and winning cases like yours. Every lawsuit is different, but we typically take an aggressive approach to initial investigations.

Depending on the circumstances of your procedure and the severity of your injuries, we could help you build a strong claim by taking steps including:

You can only win a breast mesh injury lawsuit if you can prove that a defective breast mesh or improper insertion was the direct cause of your injuries. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you secure critical evidence by reviewing the details of your surgery, investigating the maker of the defective product, and obtaining key documents during the discovery process.

Your damages are compensation for the losses that you have suffered as a result of an accident. Assessing damages can be extraordinarily difficult, as your long-term financial needs could easily exceed your existing expenses. Our experienced team of attorneys could work with you to understand the severity of your injuries, your current needs, and the resources you might need moving forward. We base our calculations on state law, case law, and precedent, ensuring that you do not get short-changed during settlement negotiations.

Expert witnesses often take on extraordinary importance during product liability lawsuits. Unlike lay witnesses, an expert witness is somebody who has considerable professional experience in a certain field. An expert witness could help determine how, where, and when a defect occurred, giving your legal team, along with the judge and jury, information that is essential to proving that a mesh was (a) defective and (b) the direct cause of your injury.

You cannot expect the defendant to have your best interests at heart. Multibillion-dollar companies know that settling a breast mesh claim could open the door for further litigation, and they will often do everything in their power to avoid offering injured women a fair deal. Adjusters and defense lawyers will sometimes resort to borderline underhanded tactics to minimize their liability, sometimes by using your own words against you or trying to pin your surgical injuries on another pre-existing condition.

A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. does not shy away from trial. Our experienced team of personal injury lawyers has spent decades litigating high-stakes claims. We know what it takes to negotiate a fair settlement or a court-ordered award, and we have the results to prove it. Please call us today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a breast mesh injury lawyer near Albany and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Albany, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!